Game apparatus.



PATENTED JAN. 2, 1906. E. B. VINSON 81: B. F. ROBINSON.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION IILED MAR. 16, 1905.

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I INVENTORS: EIIB'LrrnTI'BEEm 3c:

No. 808,959. PATENTBD JAN. 2, 1906. E. B. VINSON & B. F. ROBINSON.

GAME APPARATUS. APPLIOATION FILED MAR.16. 1905.

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mm W/////// WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EVA BURRITT VINSON AND BENJAMIN F. ROBINSON, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1906.

Application filed March 16, 1905. Serialllo. 250,330.

To all whom, it nuty concern:

Be it known that we, EVA BURRITT VIN- soN and BENJAMIN F. ROBINSON,citizens of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county ofEssex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovem'ents in Game Apparatus; and we do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and toletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention has reference to improve ments in that class of gameapparatus or toys designed for use and amusement as a parlor or housegame; and the invention has for its principal objects to provide asimply-constructed and novel game apparatus known asthe game of parlorten or nine pins, in

which the pins which are to be knocked down by means of a suspendedswinging ball rest upon a base or box which is to be placed upon thefioor, with a view of providing a novel mechanism adapted to beoperated, preferably, by the foot of the player for readily and quicklysetting up the pins without having to place them in their properpositions upon the base or box by hand or by having to get down upon thefioor for the manipulation of the pin-setting mechanism or means,

A further object of the present invention is to provide asimply-arranged and cheaplyconstructed means of connection between eachpin of the toy or game apparatus and an actuating device which may bemanipulated by hand or by foot, as may be desired, for raising andsetting up any one or more or all of the thrown pins, as willhereinafter more fully appear.

Other objects of our present invention not at this time moreparticularly specified will be clearly understood from the followingdetailed description of this invention.

With the various objects of our present invention in view the sameconsists, primarily, in the novel game apparatus or toy hereinafter setforth, and, furthermore, this invention consists in the variousarrangements and combinations of parts, as well as in the details of theconstruction of the same, all of which Will be more fully described inthe following specification and then finally embodied in the clauses ofthe claim which are appended to and which form an essential part of thisspecification.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a front view of a game apparatus embodying theprinciples of our present invention, showing the ninepins set up and inconnection with the said View showing a suspended ball for striking downthe said pins. Fig. 2 is a side view of the game apparatus, showing thepins after they have been struck and have fallen, with the raisedpositions of the said pins being represented in dotted outline. Fig. 3is a central longitudinal vertical section of the game apparatus,showing the pins in their fallen positions and Fig. 4 is a transversesection of the base or boX of the apparatus and through the head or kingpin, the remaining pins and the actuating mechanism being shown in frontelevation and in its manipulated position'for bringing all the fallenpins into their raised and standing positions.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the said abovedescribed-figures of the drawings to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to the said drawings, the reference character 1 indicatesthe complete game apparatus, the same comprising a suit able hollow baseor box 2. The said base or boX, which may be of any suitable size andshape, consists, essentially, of the ends 3 and sides 4, upon which issuitably arranged and secured a top 5, provided with a series of holesor perforations 6, which are disposed in the usual diagrammaticarrangement, in which ten or nine pins are set up. Surrounding the lowerouter portions of the ends and sides of the base or box 2 there may besuitable fianges 7, which may be provided With slightly-projecting pinsor prongs 8 to embed themselves in the carpet or the like to firmlysecure the apparatus against movement in its operative position upon thefloor for playing purposes. Movably arranged upon the said top 5 andadapted to be placed over each hole or perforation 6 is one of a set often or nine pins 9, each pin having a tube-like interior part 10, ineach of which is arranged the one end portion of a string or cord 11,having a knotted end 12, by means of which the end portion of eachstring or cord 11 is positively a'lfixed to a pin 9. It will beunderstood, however, that the end of a string or cord may be suitablyaflixed to its pin 9 in any other suitable manner. ithin the said baseor box 2, with suitable pivot portions 13 journaled in suitably-disposedbearings in the sides4 of the said base or box, is a bar 14, carrying aplate 15 of approximately the same width as the interior of the saidbase or box .2, as will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 4 of thedrawings. Suitably connected with the said swinging plate 15 is a member16, which is formed with a shank 16, extending into and movably arrangedin a segmental opening or slot 17 in one of the said sides 4. Connectedwith the said shank 16 upon the outer face of the said side 4 of thebase or box 2 is an actuating portion or rod 18, which is provided withan annular receiving-groove 19, substantially as shown, and the saidportion or rod 18 forming a foot or finger piece by means of whichtheparts can be operated in the manner to be presently described. Directlyabove the upper end of the segmental opening or slot 17 and secured inthe side 4 is a holding or receiving pin 20, an elastic band 21, or theequivalent thereof, being placed over the said pin and in the saidannular re- 'ceiving-groove 19 of the said actuating portion or rod 18,as shown. The normal tendency of this elastic band 21 is to pull theparts in an upward direction, whereby the swinging plate 15 is held inthe position indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

Rotatively arranged in a series of suitablydisposed bearings in thesides 4 of the base or box 2 are a series of three rollers 22 and asingle 'roller 23, the same being arranged substantially in the mannershown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. The strings or cords 11, whichare attached to the respective pins 9, except the string or cordattached to the head or king pin, pass around the respective rollers 22,which of course are in proper alinement with the respective holes orperforations 6 in the top 5, and then over the single roller 23, eachcord or string 11 having its lower free end portion suitably secured,bymeans of fastenings 24 or other means, to or along the front edge of thesaid swinging plate 15. The cord or string 11, which is attached to thesaid head or king pin 9, after passing through the hole or perforation6, upon which the said pin is placed, passes in close proximity to thesaid single roller 23, and its lower free end portion is also suitablysecured, by means of a fastening 24 or other means, to the front edge ofthe swinging plate 15.

All the parts of the game apparatus or toy having been assembled intheir operative relation with the ninepins 9 standing each upon a holeor perforation 6, let us now suppose that the pins have been struck downby a player by means of the usually-suspended ball 25 (shown in Fig. 1of the drawings) and that one or all of the pins 9 have fallen, the saidpins lying all over the top 5 or hanging down the sides of the base-orbox 2. Now by placing the foot upon the foot-piece or rod 18 the same isforced into the dotted position, (indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings,)at the same time stretching the elastic band 21 or other connection, asshown. The downward movement of the said foot-piece or rod 18 causes thesaid swinging plate 15 to assume the position indicated in Fig. 4 of thedrawings, or shown in the dotted outline in Fig. 3, whereby all thestrings or cords 11 will be pulled taut and each string or cord will actupon the bottom of its fallen pin, and the said fallen pins will assumetheir vertical positions, fully set up upon the top 5, as shown in Figs.1 and 4 of the drawings. As soon as the foot of the player is'againremoved from the foot-piece or rod 18 the band 21 or its equivalent inassuming its normal initial position will immediately return the saidswinging plate 15 to its normal initial position. (Indicated in Fig. 3of the drawings.) The game apparatus is now again in condition forstriking its erected or set-up pins by means of the said ball 25, aswill be clearly evident. Of course it will be understood that the saidactuating member or rod 18 can, if desired, be manipulated by hand justas well as by means of the foot; but since the game apparatus is usuallyplaced upon the floor the setting-up mechanism has been designed to beactuated by the foot in erecting the fallen pin or pins, thus avoidingthe stooping over or getting down upon the floor of the player everytime the pins have to be reset.

From the foregoing description of our invention it will be seen that wehave devised a simply and cheaply constructed game apparatus whichaffords great pleasure and amusement to both old and young and in whichthe pins can be quickly and readily reset without tiring the player.

We are aware that changes may be made in the arrangements andcombinations of the devices and parts, as well as in the details of theconstruction of the same, without departing from the scope of ourpresent invention. Hence we do not limit our invention to the exactarrangements and combinations of the devices and parts as described inthe forego ing specification and as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, nor do we confine ourselves to the exact details of theconstruction of the said parts.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is 1. In a gameapparatus, a hollow base provided with sides and a top, one of saidsides being provided with a slot, a set of pins adapted to be set upupon said top, a swinging plate journaled within the said base, a,

means of connection between the said plate and each pin, and anactuating means connected with said plate and extending from the slot inthe side of the base for actuating said swinging plate, and by means ofsaid plate and the means of connection between the same and the pinssetting up the fallen pins when said plate-actuating means is operated,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a game apparatus, a hollow base provided with sides and a top, oneof said sides being provided with a slot, a set of pins adapted to beset up upon said top, a swinging plate journaled within the said base, ameans of connection between the said plate .and each pin, a shankextending from the said swinging plate said shank being movable in saidslot, and an actuating-rod on said shank for actuating the said swingingplate, and by means of said plate and the means of connection betweenthe same and the pins setting up the fallen pins when said actuating-rodis operated, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a game apparatus, a hollow base provided with sides and a top, oneof said sides being provided with a slot, and the said top beingprovided with a series of holes or perforations, a set of pins adaptedto be set up upon said top, a swinging plate journaled near its rearedge within the said base, a series of rollers also journaled withinsaid base, flexible cords or strings arranged over said rollers andextendingthrough the holes or perforations in said top, said cords orstrings being secured to the front edge of said swinging plate and saidpins, and an actuating means connected with said plate for actuatingsaid plate, and by means of the said cords or strings setting up thefallen pins, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a game apparatus, a hollow base provided with sides and a top, oneof said sides being provided with a'slot, and the said top beingprovided with a series ofholes or perforations, a set of pins adapted tobe set up upon said top, a swinging plate journaled near its rear edgewithin the said base, a series of rollers also j ournaled within saidbase, flexible cords or strings arranged over said rollers and extendingthrough the holes or perforations in said top, said cords or stringsbeing secured to the front edge of said swinging plate and said pins, ashank extending from the said swinging plate said shank being movable insaid slot, an actuating-rod on said shank for actuating said swingingplate, and by means of the said cords or strings setting up the fallenpins, and an elastic band between said plate-actuating rod and the sideof the base, for returning said swinging plate to its normal initialposition, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that we claim the invention set forth above we havehereunto set our hands this 13th day of March, 1905.

EVA BURRITT VINSON. BENJAMIN F. ROBINSON. Witnesses:

FREDK. C. FRAENTZEL, GEO. D. RICHARDS.

